A sweeping investigation into education systems across five African countries has uncovered a "direct assault on human rights," characterised by ghost teachers, systemic exam fraud, and the widespread sexual exploitation of female students.
The new report by Transparency International, titled “Left Behind: Corruption in education and health services in Africa,” details how systemic corruption is undermining the right to education for millions of learners in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ghana, Madagascar, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe.
Researchers found that weak oversight in recruitment, procurement, and payroll management has allowed a culture of impunity to flourish, disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable populations.
One of the most harrowing findings of the study is the prevalence of "sextortion"—the solicitation of sexual favours in exchange for grades, school admissions, internships, or scholarships.
While pervasive, the report noted that this remains an underreported risk due to the stigma and fear of retaliation faced by victims, coupled with a lack of safe reporting mechanisms.
“The evidence shows that discriminatory and gendered corruption is entrenched across systems,” said Paul Banoba, Africa regional advisor at Transparency International.
In Rwanda, for instance, female students were identified as being particularly vulnerable to these risks within school feeding programmes and internship placements.
The corruption extends beyond gender lines to target those with physical limitations and the impoverished.
In Madagascar, more than 60% of parents with children with disabilities reported being excluded from the education system due to illicit fees or discriminatory practices.
Meanwhile, rural and poor households across the surveyed regions are frequently priced out of schooling through hidden charges and favouritism in the allocation of bursaries.
The study highlighted a continent-wide pattern where corruption is most acute at the point of service delivery.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, over 56% of respondents admitted to paying or witnessing bribes simply to secure a seat in a classroom.
In West Africa, Ghana continues to struggle with payroll fraud, where "ghost workers"—individuals who do not exist or no longer work for the state—continue to draw salaries.
This drain on public resources leaves underserved schools without the necessary funding to provide basic learning materials.
According to Albert Rwego Kavatiri, a regional education expert for the project, the lack of oversight is a primary driver.
Community-based structures, such as parent–teacher associations (PTAs), often lack the statutory authority or protection from intimidation required to hold school authorities accountable.
The situation in Zimbabwe was highlighted as particularly severe, with 72% of respondents acknowledging the presence of bribery in school admissions.
The country’s education sector, once a beacon of post-independence investment, is now grappling with the fallout of high inflation and economic instability.
The Transparency International Zimbabwe (TIZ) assessment revealed that academic integrity is being traded for cash.
The report cited instances where students or parents pay teachers for advance access to examination papers, and in some cases, teachers allegedly sit for examinations on behalf of students in exchange for bribes.
“We used to hear about leaking of examination papers at certain places but now… it has affected a lot of schools,” one Zimbabwean teacher told researchers.
This collusion between school staff and officials responsible for setting exams has led to a surge in "high marks" that researchers warn undermines the credibility of the entire national education standard and creates an underqualified workforce,.
A significant driver of this corruption in Zimbabwe is the low and unstable salaries of educators.
To supplement their income, many teachers have turned to private tutoring, a practice prohibited under Zimbabwean law.
This creates a two-tier system where teachers may prioritize extra lessons for paying students while neglecting their duties in the public classroom, further widening the gap between the rich and the poor.
Transparency International is now calling on African governments to adopt rights-based anti-corruption reforms.
The study, conducted under the Inclusive Service Delivery in Africa (ISDA) project, argues that education integrity is a "foundation of Africa’s future" rather than a luxury.
Key recommendations include the explicit recognition of sextortion as a form of corruption and the implementation of zero-tolerance policies.
The report also advocates for digitized payroll systems to eliminate ghost teachers and the empowerment of regional bodies to monitor compliance.
Without decisive action, the report warns, the promise of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—particularly those regarding quality education and gender equality—will remain out of reach.
"Corruption in education is not a victimless administrative failure," Banoba emphasised. It is a barrier that continues to block the path toward a fair and equal society.